Christina Booth has created a very special book that is a charming and gentle learning experience for readers, young and older. It is a special talent to be able to take a sad and ugly history and transform it through the means of a picture book to become a point of inspiration for children. The history of whaling is a bloody and violent one, particularly in Australian waters and this exploration of the plight of the Southern Right Whales, and the hopeful return of their numbers is handled beautifully through evocative watercolour illustrations and a calming lyrical text.

Taking her cue from a 2010 news story about a Southern Right whale giving birth in the Derwent River, Christina has put together an important message that avoids a ‘preachy’ tone. The connection between a young boy and a whale brings a resolution between the whales and humans and paints a positive picture for the future of these majestic mammals.

Through cleverly overlaying the present day story with historical information about the whaling industry within the illustrations, readers are gently guided to a clearer understanding of the past. This is ably enhanced by the addition of two purely informational pages at the end of the book.